Old Town.

Founded in 1511 as Cuba’s first capital, Baracoa’s Old Town is the island’s oldest Spanish settlement. Cut off from the rest of the country by rugged mountains until a road was built in the 1960s, this isolated coastal enclave developed a highly distinct, self-contained character. Rather than a polished, museum-like historic district, the Old Town is a lived-in neighborhood of low-slung colonial houses, small plazas, and centuries-old stone forts like Matachín and La Punta. Life here moves at a slower pace, heavily influenced by the surrounding tropical rainforests and cacao plantations. A walk through these salty, humid streets reveals a unique local food culture rich in coconut and chocolate, alongside historic landmarks like the Cruz de la Parra, Cuba's oldest surviving Spanish relic.